August 17, 2016

Tony Peters analyzes some American League players to target as fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups & adds in Week 20. These AL-only targets can be sleepers.

With the September 1st roster expansion only a couple short weeks away, this column is about to get a huge influx of talent and names. While most of the call-ups won't push the fantasy needle either way, there will be some lottery tickets that hit pay dirt, rewarding their owners with that sweet, sweet loot.

As we all enter the final stretch of the fantasy season, here's some players to help calm down any recent burns or plug any new roster holes. All players owned in 25% or less of Flea Flicker leagues.

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American League Waiver Wire Targets

Hitters

Tyler Austin (1B, NYY) - 15% Owned

This should week's article should start with both of the Yankees' debuting prospects, but fantasy players were already hot on the trail of outfielder Aaron Judge (52% owned) and he misses the cut. But first baseman Tyler Austin was able to sneak in at 17% owned as he gets a tryout to replace retiring veteran Mark Teixeira next season. In his first two games in the Bigs, he's made a great first impression, hitting .375 with a solo home run. With a history of underwhelming offensive numbers that's much longer than his 2016 Triple-A shininess (.323 average, 13 home runs and 49 RBI in 234 at-bats), Austin is a long shot to stick as a starter over the long haul. But for the next month and a half, Austin is going to get a chance to show that his 2016 self isn't a mirage while getting to hit at the Yankees' hitter-friendly home park. Fantasy owners shouldn't wait to see if he figures it out before making him a bench stash.

Billy Butler (1B/DH, OAK) - 1% Owned

Oh, the great "Country Breakfast" is making a comeback! Okay, okay, no, that's not even close to accurate, but designated hitter Billy Butler has been swinging a mildly-warm bat for two plus months now, hitting .333 with three home runs and 19 RBI in 129 at-bats since June 1st. That's not bad for a man that has largely been unusable in fantasy baseball this season. Nothing more than a part-time player at this point in his career, Butler certainly won't carry your team for a week, let alone a night. But he can help fill in at the corner infield for anyone in dire need of any positive results.

Shawn O'Malley (2B/SS/OF, SEA) - 0% Owned

Infielder Shawn O'Malley is like Butler, a part-time player putting up decent stats in limited playing time. In 26 at-bats in August, he's hitting .346 with two home runs, six RBI and one stolen base, which backs up his .295 average over the past month. As the main backup for Seattle's left side of the infield as well as center field, he's been seeing enough at-bats to help fantasy owners who are struggling with middle infield production. O'Malley doesn't really do anything particularly well as a fantasy producer, but if he can keep hitting near .300, deep leaguers will be able to find a way to use that to their benefit.

Jarrod Dyson (OF, KC) - 6% Owned

There's not much out on the waiver wire in deeper leagues when it comes to speed. There might be a player or two who can steal the occasional base, but when it comes to finding someone who can average a base a week, consider yourself lucky if there's one rotting away as a free agent in your league. Outfielder Jarrod Dyson wasn't the most useful fantasy contributor in June and July after hitting .226 despite seven stolen bases, and now with the Royals outfield a bit more crowded than it was prior, Dyson has been squeezed for time. This has seemingly caused an uptick in his production as he's hitting .333 with two stolen bases in only six at-bats this month. With the Royals' willingness to give him the green light to run should allow him to continue averaging a steal a week for the rest of the season. That might not be much to most, but for some, that could be the difference between sweet, delicious victory and sad, stale defeat.

Juan Centeno (C, MIN) - 0% Owned

As trade rumors continue to swirl about Twins' starting catcher Kurt Suzuki, his backup Juan Centeno has been giving the team plenty of reasons to turn them into fact. A career .293 hitter over parts of four Triple-A seasons, he has shown the ability to transition that swing to the Majors for the first time in four tries (all with other teams). In 122 at-bats with the Twins this season, Centeno's hitting .270 with two home runs and 17 RBI, including .353 in August. Catchers able to hit for a decent average are hard to find, especially on the waiver wire in deep leagues at the end of the season. So let's push the 0% ownership rate up!

Pitchers

Fernando Salas (RP, LAA) - 6% Owned & Deolis Guerra (RP, LAA) - 0% Owned

How the Angels must laugh at how silly it was all those times they thought they had too many decent relief options. With Cam Bedrosian joining Hudson Street on the disabled list, the Halos have reluctantly dubbed right-handed reliever Fernando Salas as their new closer. Well on his way to his second straight season with an ERA above 4.00, Salas parlayed his recent hot streak (1.13 ERA, 10.1 K/9 in eight innings over the past month) into this new gig. His current 4.47 ERA is a sure-fire sign he isn't long for the role though, which means we aren't far from fellow righty reliever Deolis Guerra getting another save chance. Though the second-year pitcher wasn't able to earn a save in two prior chances this season, his 2.79 ERA and 9.00 K/BB in 38.2 innings should be enough reason for the team to try him again.

Eduardo Rodridguez (SP, BOS) - 22% Owned

Don't let the ghastly 5.43 ERA and 1.45 WHIP on the season fool you: left-handed starter Eduardo Rodridguez has had a complete turnaround since the calendar flipped to the second half of the season. In six July and August starts, he's 1-2 with a 2.80 ERA, 1.22 ERA and 8.2 K/9 in 35.1 innings. After failing both at home and on the road, Rodridguez has been able to conquer both during this hot streak. With the Red Sox deep in the playoff hunt, he'll have all the support and motivation needed to succeed. Expect a big September.

Adam Warren (RP, NYY) - 5% Owned

The saying "a chance of scenery could do a player wonders" is an overused, cliched saying for a reason, and right-handed reliever Adam Warren is just another piece of proof. Failing this season as a member of the Cubs to the tune of a 5.91 ERA in 35 innings after an off-season trade from the Yankees, he was reacquired by his old team at the trade deadline. Since then, he's 1-0 with a 0.00 ERA and 8.2 K/9 in 11 innings back in pinstripes. With a career ERA of 3.27 as a member of the Yankees, his value will only go up if they return him to the starting rotation, a likely scenario as the team prepares for 2017.

Chris Devenski (RP/SP, HOU) - 3% Owned

Another reliever who deserves a chance to start more games before the season ends, rookie right-handed reliever Chris Devenski made his case in a spot start against the Twins in his last outing August 11th. He allowed no runs on two hits and no walks over five innings, striking out five as he won his first Major League game of his career. He now has a 2.35 ERA, 1.02 WHIP and 8.0 K/9 over 80.1 innings (including five starts) this year for an Astros team that's starting rotation has under-performed at times. Devenski will still be solid enough as a reliever to help out with ratios if that is where he stays, but if he were to gain a spot in the rotation, his value would grow exponentially.

Liam Hendricks (RP, OAK) - 1% Owned

Since returning from the disabled list June 19th, right-handed reliever Liam Hendricks has been lights out, displaying the form that had him pegged as a pre-season relief ace. In the 29.2 innings he has thrown in that time, he's 0-2 with a 1.82 ERA, 27 strikeouts and four holds. Hendricks isn't going to find himself anywhere near a save thanks to the robust selection of relievers the A's have to choose from above him, the team obviously is happy to run him out there and get plenty of work in. With so many starting pitchers blowing up left and right, a couple hot relievers like Hendricks here can cool down the swelling from a bloated fantasy ERA and WHIP.

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